Episode 115 War to Protect the Revolution – Collapse (2)
Clearing the scene took much longer than I expected.
Damien de Mirbeau’s southern army advanced to Nancy, but Shandra, who went in pursuit, sent endless prisoners.
The imperial army surrendered when it felt like it would be captured by the pursuers, and surrendered when it was hungry. In any case, it surrendered too easily.
Even later, perhaps due to a lack of troops, Shandra simply sent the surrendered imperial troops to our garrison without an escort, but they obediently walked to our main unit on their own and became prisoners.
What on earth is this?…
As a result, the number of prisoners increased to over 30,000, which was almost the same size as our army remaining in Valois, and thanks to this, I was busy collecting the prisoners with Deze.
If a riot occurs due to inadequate management of prisoners of that size, there would be no such large-scale accident.
How did the person who created this situation react?
-Your Majesty the Queen, isn’t this a bit much? Is it too much to say that the effect is good?
-Hmm… Isn’t good something good?
-Except for the fact that we are too busy recovering prisoners to advance. I’ve already treated you generously once, but it’s obvious that if I take it away, it’s going to be a mess, so I need to feed it properly and put it to sleep, but your Majesty is wondering how difficult it is to manage this supply… Oh, it’s already time. I’m busy treating the injured, so that’s it!
-your majesty! Where are you going, you damn saint! Eris!
-Cheer up, Marquis!
Then he ran away.
While I was busy working overtime with Deje Werther, sighing, Gaston opened his eyes.
* * *
I placed the basket of oranges next to the hospital bed and looked at the gas tank.
“His Excellency the Marquis de Lafayette.”
“cell.”
Lan Gaston, who had become a little gaunt by now, was lying on the bed, then got up and bowed his head to me.
I said, laying him back down with my hands.
“The best knight in France is such a mess.”
According to Eris, I heard that it was the same poison that Christine and Baron Charon suffered. Perhaps the two people recovered quickly because Eris was clinging to one person with all her strength?
Maybe the demons have improved the poison even further.
“I apologize, Your Excellency. “I wasn’t good enough…”
“No, anyone would have suffered in that situation. It’s not your fault. Rather, we were able to win thanks to you understanding and reporting the situation until the moment you collapsed.”
If I had been unlucky enough to be caught in the first surprise attack, it could have resulted in direct defeat in the battle.
Rather, even in such a situation, he was amazing for stopping the enemy cavalry and surviving.
Still, I looked down at the gas cylinder with an apologetic face and opened my mouth.
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
“…Thank you, Your Excellency the Marquis.”
I looked at Gaston for a moment.
I remembered the face Gaston showed me during the final battle before returning.
I don’t know why Lan Gaston at that time followed me until the end and was eventually killed.
However, I can be sure that the face he shows me now is better than the face he showed me back then.
So I said with relief.
“Then get some rest and take care of yourself. “You should help me a lot in the future.”
I will repay Gaston that much.
“I understand, Your Excellency. “We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
“I said I have nothing to apologize for. Ah, but you look to be in decent condition, so I guess the two of you can eat this.”
When I pointed to the basket of oranges, Gaston looked puzzled.
“You two… you mean?”
“okay.”
I immediately opened the door and Shandra, who was standing in front of me, smiled brightly.
“Ah, His Excellency the Marquis. “Have you finished your business?”
“Okay, it’s over. “Then I have to go finish the work that has piled up because you were so good at the chase.”
Who would have imagined that there would be far more prisoners than dead or injured enemy soldiers on the battlefield?
Shandra responded with a salute and a cheerful smile.
“Please take care of me!”
“Okay…”
I glanced at the gas tank and then answered Shandra.
“I hope you have a good time.”
So let’s leave the room and walk down the hallway.
“Pahahaha! “He said he would go and I did!”
“Keuhum khum.”
The voices of Shandra bursting out laughing so loudly that the entire hallway could be heard, and Gaston clearing his throat in embarrassment, were heard.
I laughed and turned my back.
I miss Christine too.
Ah, how long will we have to manage that damned prisoner?
…I’d like to write a letter.
* * *
After that, another three days passed.
The mind-blowing process of clearing out prisoners has come to an end to some extent.
And in the meantime, the letter I wrote brought the author here.
“The prevailing opinion is not to liberate the prisoners this time.”
“Well, is that also true?”
The number of prisoners is too large to use the tactic of liberating prisoners and lowering the enemy’s morale like last time.
In any case, the countless prisoners prove that the rumor about our lenient treatment of prisoners has spread widely among the imperial army, so there is no need for more.
“But the supplies it takes to feed those prisoners are no joke. “The National Assembly continues to provide this?”
Imperial prisoners of war account for nearly half of our total troops.
In my heart, I want to feed them just enough to keep them from dying, but there’s no way Eris will like them, and they surrendered because they believed in our generous treatment.
If they are not treated as expected, they can easily rebel, and there are no detention facilities to hold that number of people, nor do they have an abundance of troops to manage them.
So, it would be more effective to keep them quiet by treating them to their satisfaction, but the money issue…
Christine slowly crossed her legs and answered.
“So the National Assembly expects you to quickly collapse the imperial army and conclude a peace agreement.”
“It’s too easy to say it’s someone else’s business.”
When I answered as if I was a little dumbfounded, Christine chuckled and laughed.
I could feel her body moving along with her laughter, so I slowly averted my gaze.
“So Christine?”
“yes?”
“How long are you going to stay like this?”
Christine is now straddling my legs and leaning in with her arms around my neck.
After hearing what I said, Christine looked at me quietly, raised the corner of her mouth and asked.
“no, I do not want?”
A soft breath touches your chin-
“No, that’s not it.”
Either way, it’s the good side… but
I’m just concerned about the small problem that this is my command center, it’s broad daylight, and there are subordinates outside.
Christine slowly tilted her head and opened her mouth with a low smile.
“When I read the letter I received, it seemed like you missed me very much, so I tried to express that I missed you this much too, but as expected-”
I immediately stretched out my arms and grabbed her face, pressing our lips together.
They kissed as if they were devouring each other’s breath and said while feeling Christine’s heavy breathing.
“It’s really nice to think about it again.”
Christine lowered her head with a completely red face.
It seems bold, but it’s also strangely shy.
It was so cute that I hugged her and whispered to her.
“You must have been busy, but I’m very glad that you came here in person for me.”
“Anyway, we need someone to convey the opinions of the National Assembly, so I just volunteered.”
My fiancee, who is so lovely and not so honest, came all this way, so what if it’s daytime and what if it’s in the command center?
I should just enjoy this precious time to the fullest –
while I was thinking that, I heard a knock on the door.
Christine tried to get up quickly, and for a moment, I was tempted to grab her and greet my subordinate like this – but I held back because I knew if I did that, I would be really hated.
“Please come in.”
“messenger! Your Excellency the Marquis! “This is a letter from the Southern Command.”
“Well pussy.”
As I glanced to the side while receiving the letter handed out by the messenger who saluted me, Christine had a calm expression on her face, covering her mouth with a black fan as if she had never done that before.
I opened the letter and opened my eyes wide.
“You took over Nancy? Avascular?”
“Yes, Your Excellency the Marquis! Archduke Leopold’s Imperial Army appears to have retreated to Metz!”
It seems that the condition of the imperial army was much more serious than I thought, as Archduke Leopold gave up a strategic point like Nancy without even fighting properly.
Or maybe Damien moved much faster than I expected and didn’t even give the archduke time to regroup.
“Okay, good job. “Please tell Count Mirbeau that you have been nice to him and that we will leave as soon as the situation is resolved.”
“I understand, Your Excellency the Marquis!”
The messenger immediately saluted and left.
I wanted to secure Nancy before the imperial army recovered from the damage, but I didn’t send it expecting Damien to single-handedly drop Nancy before the main force could control the situation, right?
It really looks like he paved the way for me and was waiting for me, right?
This is ridiculous. This is perfect-
“…You made Count Mirbeau a hero?”
As the words came out of Christine’s mouth, I placed my hand on my forehead.
“Unbelievably, he read my intentions accurately and prepared for action in advance, so I left it up to him. “I didn’t really intend to push him…”
I knew that Christine had not been pleased with Count Mirbeau before, so I made an excuse, and Christine gave a surprising answer.
“That wasn’t Count Mirbeau’s idea, it was Giselle Davy’s mantra.”
“…Is that so?”
Actually, I thought something was strange.
Am I that easy to read? Even if I wanted to, I thought there was no way Count Mirbeau would have lost so many games to me.
However, it makes sense if the newly assigned officer was assisting as a staff member.
“I knew Giselle Darby received a high tactical evaluation at the military academy, but I had no idea she was that talented. “If I had known, I would have used it myself rather than giving it away.”
No wait.
After pausing for a moment, I slowly turned my gaze to Christine.
“But how do you know that?”
Christine smiled, shaking her fan.
“Because we need to know our allies as closely as our enemies.”
I was speechless at the calm answer, as if he was stating an obvious fact.
“….”
I thought it was surprising when Christine, who did not like Damien de Mirbeau, recommend him as the commander of the Southern Army, but now I see that he was properly kept on leash and kept under surveillance.
I laughed out loud and suddenly thought of something else.
“…Christine?”
“Yes Pierre. Please speak.”
“…Do you have eyes on my command center as well?”
Christine blinked and then smiled deeply.
…just smiled.
No, why don’t you have an answer?
It was only then, as I looked at Christine, smiling and shining with her jet-black eyes, that I truly realized what Crocs had said.
It seems that my beloved Fianse was a more dangerous person than I thought.
It’s not normal for me to feel reassured rather than scared.
I sighed lightly and opened my mouth.
“Well, that’s good. Are there any locals employed by Christine Alsace-Lorraine with whom you still maintain contact?”
“Yes, it’s still there. “It’s not that much, though.”
“great. Then I have an idea. “Can I ask for your cooperation?”
Christine answered with a grin.
“Of course, anything I can do to help.”
If we persecute those excessive numbers of prisoners now, we will lose the cause that Eris built up, and there are too many of them to even send them back.
It is not surprising that the National Assembly requested a quick resolution.
However, we have already made many sacrifices, and Archduke Leopold, who retreated by even giving up Nancy, would have gained time to restore his troops in his own way.
Now that we are the attackers, it wouldn’t be wise to attack the prepared defense of the base head on.
In particular, since it is the last stronghold of the imperial army, Archduke Leopold will gather all of his remaining troops and resources to desperately defend it.
Losing even there would mean the total defeat of the empire.
Still, they are already cornered and morale is at an all-time low. In that case, you should use what is available.
I laughed, remembering the conversation I had with Eris.
-Okay, Your Majesty. Since you’ve said this much, let me think about it a little differently.
-Are you saying they are people like us?
-…Well, it seems like it can be used as a way to shake up the imperial army.
-There is no romance.
Since I have entrusted romance to Eris, it is my role to use the results of her good intentions for my tactics.
War doesn’t necessarily have to be fought honorably and fairly with only guns and swords, right?
